Caitlin Clark of Iowa is 39 points short of the NCAA women’s scoring record.
Iowa City, Iowa On Thursday, Caitlin Clark came within 39 points of shattering the NCAA record for women’s basketball scoring, but she didn’t lead the Iowa Hawkeyes in scoring for the first time in almost a year.
Clark had 27 points and a season-high 15 assists, many of them to sophomore forward Hannah Stuelke, who had a career game in the No. 2 Hawkeyes’ 111-93 victory over Penn State. Stuelke scored 47 points on 17 of 20 shooting from the field. It is the program’s second-highest single-game total behind the 48 points of Megan Gustafson, now with the WNBA’s Las Vegas Aces, against Minnesota in 2018.
Stuelke’s total is one better than Clark’s best-ever performance of 46 points, achieved in a 2022 match versus Michigan. Clark chuckled and responded, “Not at all,” when asked if she liked Stuelke leaving her off that list. She is welcome to have it.”
If all goes as planned, Clark should be at the top of the NCAA list very shortly. It might happen as soon as this Sunday at 1 p.m. ET when the Hawkeyes visit Nebraska. Three of Clark’s 11 games this season have seen her score 40 points or more. In addition, the senior has at least thirty points in each of his previous meetings with Nebraska.
Iowa coach Lisa Bluder said, in a perfect world, that it would be great for Clark to break the record in front of her home fans here at Carver-Hawkeye Arena on Feb. 15 against Michigan. But if it comes Sunday at Nebraska, that’s fine, too. The wins are the most important thing for Clark and her team, who currently project as a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament.
“Tonight, I didn’t shoot the ball well, but Hannah Stuelke played really well,” Clark stated. “My main focus is just on winning and having fun and enjoying these environments.”
In women’s basketball, Clark and Stuelke—whose previous career high was 22 points—are the only teammates from major conferences to have 40-point performances in a single season in the preceding 25 years.
“Clark’s 33-game stretch of leading the Hawkeyes and their opponent in scoring, which dates back to last season, came to an end on Thursday. Not only is Clark’s dependability a major factor in her current proximity to the NCAA record, but Bluder finds great admiration for it as well.
“There are so many things that impress everybody about Caitlin, but her consistency is off the charts,” Bluder stated. “For her to do this day after day — sold-out arenas, chasing records — for her to be his consistent is incredible.”
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